NEW DELHI: Former India captain Ajinkya Rahane has announced his retirement from international cricket.Rahane shared the news through a post on Instagram, where he uploaded a video message with the caption: “Cap 278 signing off”.“Thank you for all the love and support over the years. Forever grateful,” Rahane wrote in his post. “The reality of life is that everything has a beginning and everything has an end. When the time comes, you simply have to respect it and move forward. I have always relied on timing in my batting and have always understood its importance,” Rahane said.“Today, I feel the timing is right for me to move on and announce my retirement from international cricket and all formats. From those early days, travelling as a young boy just to practice, I gave this game everything I had. Every single day, every innings, every opportunity I got to bat, the dream was always to wear the India cap,” he added.“I lived by one simple rule. Always put my country and my team ahead of myself. I played this game with complete honesty and I have always believed that if your intent is right, the game will always take care of you,” the veteran cricketer said.“Since the time I made my debut as a first-class cricketer, Indian cricket has grown tremendously and I feel so proud to have been a part of it over the last 20 years. While my chapter as an Indian cricketer comes to an end, my journey with the game doesn’t. I look forward to helping the next generation, sharing the values this sport has taught me and giving back to the game that has given me everything,” he said.Rahane also thanked the BCCI, Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), his teammates, coaches, IPL franchises, family, friends and fans for their support throughout his career.“And a very special thank you to all the cricket fans who supported me through every high and low. Ajinkya means unbeatable, but cricket has shown me defeat many times. As cricketers, we fail more often than we succeed. My team has lost matches. I have made mistakes, but there is one place where I was never defeated. And that was in your hearts. Thank you for your love, your faith and your support. Cap number 278, signing off,” Rahane concludedThe 36-year-old represented India in all three formats during his international career. He played 85 Test matches, 90 ODIs and 20 T20Is. Rahane, who made his international debut in 2011, was part of India’s historic Test series win in Australia in 2020-21, where he led the team as captain in the absence of Virat Kohli.
